The veteran classically trained actor who was known the world over as Spock the deadpan Vulcan logician whose cool head helped Captain Kirk out of many a near miss on ‘STAR TREK’ has died at aged 83.
Back in 1968 when talking about the character he created he told a New York Times reporter, “‘It’s all in the years. Five words. That’s what they want to hear”. His early autobiography I am Not Spock was wildly misconstrued as his resentment to his ticket to fame and fortune, but he corrected that misunderstanding with his second memoir in 1995 called ‘I Am Spock’.
In fact he was so wedded the most famous space series of all time that after his screen death he went on to direct two Star Trek movies: The Search for Spock in 1984, and The Voyage Home in 1986 for which he also wrote the story. He was in fact so much more than just an actor and enjoyed a hugely successful career that included directing the blockbuster comedy Three Men and A Baby’ acting on stage and both big and small screens as well as making several albums of his music, photography (with several exhibitions mounted of his portraiture) and prolifically producing books of his poetry.
Among the outpouring of tributes that are all over the media today, one of the most endearing ones came from George Takei the actor who played Sulu alongside him in Star Trek for many years. He said, “Today, the world lost a great man, and I lost a great friend. We return you now to the stars, Leonard. You taught us to “Live Long And Prosper,” and you indeed did, friend. I shall miss you in so many, many ways.”
As we Trekkies and non-Trekkies will too.
